Caprica

This week's episode of Caprica, "The Reins of a Waterfall" seemed to be mostly about introducing us to new characters and setting future episodes of this increasingly more developed series.

As far as actual events of the episode, all we really had was Zoe finding a way back into the holostream, stealing Avatar Tamara in the process.  This, of course, led to a very upset Jospeh, who now believes his daughter to be gone.  After the threat made at the end of the episode, you better believe we're tuning in next week.

While there were plenty of other developments, including learning more about Sister Clarice and the Soldiers of the One, meeting Samuel's partner, seeing Joseph pissing off a judge, and of course Agent Durham's office getting their much desired warrant, we can't help but feel too much of this was development.

We also enjoyed meeting the new characters, especially the Jon Stewart of the twelve worlds, Baxter Sarno (Patton Oswalt) and can't wait to tune in for when Daniel makes his appearance.  Come on, Priyah, do your job and convince our man!

We're hoping after all this time invested this week, we're treated to some real action when the show returns in two weeks.  Overall it was still a great episode and continues to flesh out the world of Caprica.  Be sure and check out our Caprica quotes after the jump.

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On Friday's episode of Caprica, the reverberations of Amanda's announcement last week are felt throughout the city.

Meanwhile, as the following below depict, Patton Oswalt guest stars on "Reins of a Waterfall" in the role of a talk show host that stirs up controversy.

Get a look at him in that role, along with a few other images from the hour, below.

We've posted a clip from "Reins of a Waterfall" below. Watch it now and then return to TV Fanatic this weekend for a detailed review of the installment.

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Welcome to the Caprica Round Table!

We've alread given fans our initial reaction to this week's episode, "Rebirth," in our weekly review of the SyFy series.

Below, however, our staff has gathered for an in-depth Round Table discussion of various developments and characters. We encourage reader feedback on the topics/responses that follow...

The use of Avatar Zoe vs. Cylon robot: Cool or lame?
M.L. House: I'm torn. They have to humanize the robot, but it felt manipulative to show its human form during particularly painful moments, such as when the mean tech dude treated the Cylon like a machine. Call me old-fashioned, but I still can't look at it yet as something other than engineered parts.

LJ Gibbs: Cool. It sums up the entire dilemma of the Cylons. It's more than a machine, but less than a person. What better way to depict that than by transitioning between shots and scenes?

The Barnacle: Oh, very cool.  I'll take any excuse to look at a pretty actress over a robot.  Plus, it sort of made sense as they show avatar Zoe in shots from her perspective, and Cylon robot from others.  I dug it.

Favorite unique feature of Caprica: Group marriages, Drug bars or Little Tauron?
M.L. House: Little Tauron. Yes, we have Little Italy and Chinatown in modern America. But there's clearly a racist vibe to how the Taurons have been treated, one driven home by the ethnicity of the actors that play these roles. Giving these characters their own section of the city can only lead to an expansion on this interesting dichotomy.

LJ Gibbs: As someone that believes drugs should be legal in the United States, gotta go with the bars in Caprica that seem to openly embrace extracurricular activities of this nature.

The Barnacle: As a Big Love fan, I've seen polygamous relationships before, but never one with multiple husbands and wives!  And, please, drug bars exist in Amsterdam and I'm pretty sure they just shot the scene for Little Tauron in Little Italy.

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There was a lot of pressure on the second episode of Caprica.

Because the first was available on DVD, many fans watcehd it months ago and have been awaiting this week's installment to see if it was a worthy follow-up. Our take on Rebirth? It most definitely was.

While the series tackles broad, important questions such as religion and terrorism, its basic plot so far boils down to a misuderstood little girl. Or a misunderstood digital facsimile of that little girl.

Kudos to the production team for its seamless transitions between Cylon robot and actress Alessandra Torresani as Zoe. What could have been a distracting effect was - and will continue to be - an efficient way to depict the issue of artificial intelligence. There was a poignancy in scenes such as when the mean tech dude treated the Cylon like just a machine, as the camera cut to Torresani's pained face.

This hour was mainl focused on the aftermath of the bombing, but it also excelled at depicting the world of Caprica. There was Little Tauron; Clarice's group marriage; the smoking bar; the Pyramid fans' National Anthem gesture of crossing their hearts. All great touches.

Then, there was Paula Malcomson as Amanda Graystone. While the pilot episode introduced viewers to the men above, Malcomson shined as the mournful mother this week.

How would you react if you lost your daughter and learned she was a possible terrorist? It's an impossible question to answer, which makes it equally impossible to judge Amanda's episode-concluding speech. (We could have done without the flashbacks to last week as soon as she discovered STO pin, however. Caprica viewers were smart enough to connect those dots on their own).

We're left to wonder: what, exactly, was going on with Zoe? Daniel and Amanda appear to be a loving couple; they are truly mourning their daughter. Would these parents really have been so out of touch that they wouldn't have known Zoe had a boyfriend?

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What did you think of the series premiere of Caprica?

While fans chew over the two-hour debut of this SyFy drama, they can get a sneak peek at this Friday's new episode.

They can slo look even further ahead: on March 5, James Marsters comes aboard the new series as a villain named Barnabus Greeley. The character is a dangerous and unpredictable terrorist that's torn apart internally by his conflicting moral and carnal desires.

Get your first look at Marsters in this role below:

Last night, the Syfy network debuted the much anticipated series premiere of its Battlestar Gallatica prequel, Caprica.  While very different from the original series, this prequel tells the story of how the Cyclons were created and the destruction of Caprica and is set 58 years before the series.

We're going to spare Caprica the cruel fate of comparing it to the original series, and instead will review the two hour premiere on its own.  Overall, Caprica did a great job in terms of production value with impressive special effects and superb acting by an impressive cast that includes Eric Stoltz.

The world we're introduced seems to be very in depth with an underground war going on between monothiests (seen as the terrorists) and the dominant polythiest.  In addition to religious wars, there also appears to be a heavy amount of racism between the Capricans and the Taurans.

It's the latter that seems to fuel the two main characters and families of the show.  The rich and powerful Graystones hail from Caprica, while the Adamas are originally from Tauran and are only brought together by the tragedy of both losing their children to a bombing.

While some of the overtones may seem a little too obvious, we think these overall themes along with Caprica's obsession with technology that will lead to an interesting series.  The pilot did a great job of hooking us and we know we'll be tuning in all season.

Luckily, from here on out, M.L. House will be taking over reviewing, but for now, this author can tell you he was shocked how much he was hooked.  Now while I go try to find my own way to escape to a holostream, enjoy the following Caprica quotes from the premiere:

Daniel Graystone: You can see your daughter again. Isn't that worth whatever price you have to pay? | permalink

Sister Clarice Willow: Sometimes faith can be a victim of chance. | permalink

Joseph Adama: She's a machine...
Daniel Graystone: She's a copy... a perfect copy...
Joseph Adama: You can't copy her soul... | permalink

At this weekend's Winter Press Tour, Caprica producer David Eick spoke to reporters about the similarites, and key differences, between his show and the series from which it's spun-off, Battlestar Galactica.

“Caprica, like Battlestar Galactica, doesn’t treat the [sci-fi] genre like a toy department,” he said. “We take it seriously.”

This is reminiscent of Edward James Olmos' famous quote upon signing up for the original: he said if he ever saw an alien, he'd walk off the set.

The upcoming SyFy drama stars Eric Stoltz, Esai Morales, Polly Walker, and Paula Malcomson.

“There are no stark good guys and bad guys,” said another producer, Jane Espenson. “Everyone has moral shadings and we can tell very complex stories as a result.”

But must one have been a loyal fan of Battlestar Galactica in order to tune in to Caprica? Not at all, says Eick.

“New viewers will find that there’s virtually no tether to BSG from a storytelling standpoint. Legitimately, the show stands on its own… It’s not called Battlestar Galactica: Caprica [for a reason].”

The series premieres on January 22.

According to the poster below, the future of humanity begins with a choice.

Evidently, it also gets promoted with a topless star.

Sy Fy has released its latest promotional ad for the Battlestar Galactica prequel, Caprica. Unlike its serious, dramatic predecessor, Caprica appears to be going for a lighter, sexier tone.

How else can one interpret this poster, which features Alessandra Torresani, topless, as her character of Zoe Graystone?

Caprica will premiere on January 22 with a two-hour episode.

Peter Wingfield is coming to Caprica.

The actor, who was last seen on American television as David Emerson on 24, told fans his website that he’s joining the SyFy seres as Gara Singh, director of the Global Defense Department. The character is the boss Jordan Duram, the GDD agent played by Brian Markins.

Rejoice, Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans!

James Marsters has signed on for a sizable role on Caprica.

The actor - who has appeared on Smallville and Saving Grace, but is best known as Spike from the aforementioned Joss Whedon series - will portray a terrorist leader named Barnabus Greeley on Caprica. He'll appear in a minimum of three episodes.

The Battlestar Galactica prequel debuts on SyFy on January 22.